Seasons change ... and so does my hair!

 

I have had purple extensions, and blue extensions. I bleached my hair to achieve the ombre look, and then had to cut off 10 inches to recover. I've even faked bangs. Needless to say, I am always trying to change up my hair.

Here is the latest 'do ... brownish-red extensions!

 

 

They go in easy ... just tape right in. This tape is like super glue, and it is attached to a small section of my hair. The extensions are real hair, so they blend nicely.

 

 

 

Such a fun way to add some color without damaging my hair. Removal is easy, too. There is a glue-dissolving serum you apply that removes the glue without damaging your hair. These extensions are also re-usable!

 

 

I am loving the contrast right now .... until I get bored again and think of the next style to try.

Menu of the Week

 

 

 

With the kids back in school, and hubby and I both working full-time schedules, I am finding that taking some extra time on Sundays to plan out meals for the week is the key to a smooth-flowing weeknight routine. The crockpot is my homie ... and gets used quite a bit this time of year.

 

Here's the menu for this week:

 

 

Monday  ....  Tuna Casserole

It's a family recipe, SUPER easy to make, and a hit in my home!

 

Tuesday  ....  Honey Sesame Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It looks yummy!

 

 

Wednesday  ....  Lasagna Soup

Another Pinterest recipe - y'all should see my Food board!

 

 

Thursday  ....  Open House Night and BBQ for my kiddos at their school

Gotta love a freebie night.

 

Friday  ....  Hawaiian Chicken

My fam loves this dish ... thanks again to Pinterest.

 

What recipes does your family enjoy? Please share ... I am always looking for new ideas!

 

Cleaning out my closet ...

Fall is my favorite time of year. There are so many things I adore about the season itself, but I also love when it is time to refresh my closet. I get to purge the spring and summer clothes that got plenty of wear over the last few months, donating some and packing favorite pieces away for next year. Pulling out boots and sweaters from the storage bins always feels like Christmas. I love taking inventory of the things I need to add to this year's mix (mostly new leggings and a basic cardigan or two), and I get excited putting outfits together from inspiration I find on Pinterest.

Last night I spent an hour and a half cleaning out my closet. Keeping Up With The Kardashians was on TV, the kiddos were in bed, and my bedroom was a crazy mess with clothes scattered about and piled up in an organized order. Waking up this morning and opening my closet door put a smile on my face ... fresh, organized, and ready for the new season!

Speaking of closet excitement ... check out how amazing these closets are! Closets that are open and bright take my breath away ... windows would be a must if there comes a day when I get to design my own wardrobe haven.

 



Does anyone else get as happy as I do when it comes to cleaning out your closets?

 

What's In Your Crockpot?

I love this recipe ... so flippin' easy and a family hit every time!

 

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

1 Package of cream cheese

1 jar of salsa

 

Cook on high for 4 hours.

Shred chicken with fork and serve up with your favorite taco fixin's.

 

This is what's for dinner at my house tonight ... Yum!

Weekly Wrap-Up

 

How did everyone survive the first week of school?

Other than being really tired, I successfully managed to pull through the Labor Day vacation hangover, getting up an hour earlier to get the boys up and out the door in time (school starts at 7:45am ... anyone else's kiddos start that early?), and working extra hours to get caught up on the inbox. Whew!

 

The last two days have been wet. It's amazing how fast Fall swoops in here in the Pacific Northwest. The leaves are starting to change, the days are getting shorter and darker, my crockpot has been running all week, and football season has started! I even wore boots TWICE this week! Welcome Fall ... so happy you are here!

 

Campbell's has announced that they will debut K-Cups for Keurig in 2014. I love my Keurig. I love soup. This is great news!

 

 

 Tomorrow I will be adding extensions in this pretty brownish-red shade to my black hair. When seasons change, I get the itch to change up my hair (don't we all?) and I am not into bleaching it anymore. Ombre - been there, done that, chopped off 10 inches to recover.

 

 My family went on a trip for Labor Day weekend - about a three hour drive from home to Sunriver. We rented a house and stayed 4 nights; swimming, biking, shopping, and just relaxing for the last weekend of the summer. My sis-in-law brought along her fancy DSLR camera and it made me miss the one I had for a couple years. I sold it last year because it was so big to carry around. It always felt like a chore to get the pictures off of the camera (because the SD card didn't fit in my computer), and as much as I loved the beautiful pictures it captured, I was okay with the convenience of my little point-and-shoot that fit in my back pocket.

And then my point-and-shoot died.

I convinced myself that my iPhone was an even better camera option - afterall, you can edit and load pics instantly. But after shooting all weekend with such a nice camera, I realized it was time for an upgrade.
Still not wanting a big mamma-jamma to lug around, I researched the best budget-friendly point-and-shoot cameras and found rave reviews on the Canon Powershot Elph 330 HS.

  Isn't she pretty? This camera runs $200, but I shopped through Ebates and snagged it for $162 with FREE shipping!!

Yep, crazy savings!! Are you all using Ebates for your online shopping? If not, you are seriously missing out on extra CASH!! I have already received close to $300 in cash back just by shopping through this free site. And when I say cash, I really mean it! Ebates sends you a Big Fat Check (that's what it's called) every quarter with the credited cash back you earned. Christmas is just around the corner ... the seasons are changing and you need a wardrobe makeover ... there is always a reason to shop, and now you can get paid to do so!

My Ebates review is not sponsored by anyone but myself. The excitement is all organic ... check it out for yourself! In fact, when you sign up, you get a $10 gift card to stores like Target and Macy's to apply to your first purchase, in addition to the cash back % perk of the day. Just click on any of the links here to sign up ... you get credit, I get credit, we all win!

 

My camera arrives in a week ... I will let y'all know how I like it!

 

I hope everyone had a great first week of September! Enjoy the weekend, peeps!!

xoxo

Back To School

I can't believe the summer is over! It's also hard to believe that my boys are now in the 1st and 4th grades! It's always fun to see everyone's kiddos on Facebook on the first day back to school. This was always a fun time of year for me growing up as a kid, and I love seeing the excitement that it brings my boys as well.

Here's to a great school year and a fabulous fall season ahead!

The MINI Project

 

The Deal

1 Accessory

4 Girls

4 Different Styles

1 Major Blog Day

 

 

 

The fabulous Kelly over at MessyDirtyHair hosts this popular little project each month, and I have been waiting patiently for my turn to participate. This month, Kelly picked out these fun sunnies to enjoy in the final days of summer.

 

I decided to pair mine up with a black and white ensemble ... this teal color is meant to pop, and with basic black leggings and cotton skirt (both from H&M), and a tie-dye black and white top (from Express), the shades do just that.

 

How could you not have fun with these? They remind me a little bit of the 60's era with a funky-fresh twist of the 90's.

What do you think? Would you rock these spunky shades?

 

Head on over and check out the other girls who represented The MINI Project this month and see what looks they put together:

 

Kelly @ MessyDirtyHair

Vanniee @ Girly & Pretty

Tranea @ Becoming Famous

Emily @ Designs by Emily

 

 

 

 

 

BluePrint Cleanse

I made it! Three whole days without eating solid foods ... oy, what a week! I did my normal 2-day detox (details found here), then did one day of the raw juice cleanse by BluePrint Cleanse. Here's the low-down ...

Sunday night, we got back from camping. Of course, spending a night out in the wild already makes you come home feeling dirty, but I was inspired to clean up inside and out!

At about 5pm, I started to prep for my 3-day cleanse. I drank a whole bottle of Citrate Magnesium, found at my local Rite Aid, to flush everything out of my system. Gross detail, but I keep it real here, folks. This process in itself probably was a good enough "cleanse", but I was on a mission ...

Monday and Tuesday, I did the 2-day detox. No food at all for 48 hours. Day one is always the hardest. Extreme hunger, headaches, hard to focus, and no patience for anyone or anything. My family is thoroughly warned before I go through these detoxes, so they are great about leaving me be. Day two is easier - the hunger isn't as bad, although my energy levels are pretty low. There were no bathroom issues, being I got rid of everything on Sunday. The BluePrint Cleanse arrived on Tuesday morning, and I immediately stored it in the refrigerator to use on Wednesday.

The BluePrint Cleanse website is amazing at helping you decide which cleanse is right for you. Lots of information, ingredients, and details to help you choose what the best juice program is going to help you see the best results. Plus, they are fantastic with customer support, so any questions you have, they encourage you to contact them.

I went with the Excavation Cleanse, being I am pretty skilled in the cleansing department. BluePrint offers 3 different levels of juices to choose from - a newbie, a middle of the roader, and an experienced juicer. The Excavation Cleanse uses the most of the green juice over the fruit juices, and promises to really rid the body of the stuff it's been hanging on to for years. Instructions are simple ... drink each of the 6 bottles, in their numbered order, finishing all bottles by the end of the day (2 hours before bedtime is suggested to end consumption). I started at 8am, drinking a bottle every 2 hours, having the last bottle at 6pm.

Let's start with the taste ... the green juice is made up of green veggies such as kale, celery, and romaine. Unless you like the taste of grass, I would chug these bottles as fast as you can. I am used to drinking whole leaf teas, matcha, and even wheat grass, so while this taste is never desirable, I can tolerate it. The spicy lemonade wasn't too bad, although the habanero stuck to my throat a bit. I am not a lemonade kinda gal, but it was a nice change from the 3 bottles of green juice I drank before this bottle. The cashew milk was surprisingly sweet and reminded me of a vanilla chai. It was pretty chalky in my book, but a nice finish to the cleanse.

Here's my one warning with the BluePrint Cleanse ... stick close to a bathroom. I flushed and fasted before taking this raw juice cleanse on, and there were a couple times (starting after bottle 3) where I needed to get to the restroom asap. Nothing major ... just the leftovers that the juices are collecting on their way out, but enough to cause a little panic to make it to a toilet in time.

Overall results ... I lost 8 pounds in 3 days. My carb cravings are currently non-existent. My family ate pizza last night and the smell wasn't even appetizing! I am eating light today, as to not upset my stomach from having zero solids the last 3 days. The menu suggested for today by BluePrint is watermelon for breakfast, leafy greens for lunch, and low-sodium broth with another leafy green salad for dinner. I have already shopped and stocked my refrigerator with lots of yummy and healthy foods, including fish and veggies. My plan is to eat clean from here on out, packing my meals where healthy foods are not an option, and staying focused on what I am feeding my body. Eventually I will start hittin' the gym ... maybe take up Zumba again or find a fun cardio class that I can be excited to go to.

While eating fast food and filling up on carbs may taste amazing, the toll it takes on my mind and body are just not worth it anymore. Eating healthy takes a lot of time and preparation, but the clean feeling is always awesome and makes me feel so much better.

 

 

** Please note:  I did not receive any products or discounts from BluePrint Cleanse for this blog post. I paid what you see on their website and have had no contact from this company outside of regular customer support. **

 

 

Hump Day Humor ... GEICO Camel

This guy makes me laugh every time I watch this. Happy Wednesday!

 

 

Jump-Start Monday

Our camping trip was another success this weekend. Blue skies, warm weather, and family time. Our view from our campsite of the reservoir was just gorgeous! This was what we saw right outside of our tent! No snakes were encountered (thank you, Jesus!!) and we are already planning another trip in September.

 

Today I am kicking off a 3-day detox and cleanse. I will be doing 2 days of my normal detox, then completing day three with a round of the BluePrint Cleanse. Sarah Jessica Parker and Blake Lively are among many celebs who rave about this raw juice cleanse, so I am going to give it a shot. More details to come on my experience and results!

 

 

I hope everyone has a great week!

Pop back in on Friday, where I will be participating in MessyDirtyHair's MINI Project.

Oh ... and find me now through Bloglovin ... cuz all the cool kids are doing it!

 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Weekend Plans

I am going camping with my boys this weekend, folks! Last year's trip was a success (see here and here). I know what to pack for this time around, so hopefully we will be better prepared for any weather changes that may or may not occur here in Oregon. We will be staying a night out in Prineville off of the reservoir ... praying to Jesus that I don't encounter any snakes!!

Have a great weekend, peeps! Anyone doing anything fun?

Hump Day Humor ... Tatted Up

I am all about tattoos ... my man has several, and I always encourage more. I have none, although I want a tiny heart on my wrist. Simple, nothing fancy, just a small little heart. The hubs isn't so hot on the idea of his wifey getting inked, so I refrain from getting one. No caveman comments, please. I am old-school. If my hubby truly feels strongly about something, that matters to me. I respect him and adore him, so no tattoo for me.

I occasionally get wrapped up in the TV shows that showcase tattoo artists and their shops ... some people's choice of artwork represents who they are, some make me tear up for the story they tell, and others are just plain silly. I mean, really?!? Are you going to love that cartoon character or The Jonas Brothers for the rest of your life? Either way, I don't judge. To each his own ... we only live once, right?

 

 I wonder if this was intentional? Spelling error on a permanent tattoo = no regrets?

 

 Team Cullen ... I proudly admit I am a Saga fan, but umm ... not this devoted.

 

 

 

What about you? Do you have any tattoos? Any that you regret?

 

 

Love, Yellow

I just signed up for the September theme with Erin over at Living In Yellow! Wanna join us?

Check out all the adorable details ... this looks like so much fun!

 

Happy Monday!

Cheers to the Weekend!

 

Have a great weekend!!

 

 

Cantaloupe Martini

Serves 2

 

* 1 cup frozen cantaloupe

* 3 ounces watermelon pucker

* 2 ounces vodka

* 1 ounce Cointreau

* Skewered cantaloupe scoops for garnish

 

Blend all ingredients in a blender (I like my Magic Bullet), and serve in martini glasses.

 

Enjoy!!

It's On ... August Plank Challenge

 

Found on Pinterest ... Challenge Accepted.

Anyone wanna join me?

She Bangs ... Faking It

I debate on getting bangs at least a couple times a year ... you know, when a fave celebrity changes up their 'do. I always think that bangs look so cute on others, if they are cut right, but I usually always chicken out in the salon chair when it comes to my turn. My hubby doesn't help in this decision process either, as he doesn't like the look of bangs.

 

 Lovin' Kourtney's new look ...

 Ashley looks hot ... simply gorgeous!

 

Emma Stone is always a fave ... so soft and cute!

 

Browsing on Pinterest, as I normally do every.single.day, I came across this pin:

 

This looked do-able. And without any cutting, this is a great way to see if I like the look without having to chop at my hair.

I got up for work this morning, and whipped this out in about 10 minutes. SUPER simple to do, although I modified a bit, being I was pressed for time.

I threw my hair up in a ponytail on top of my head. Portioned out the thickness of hair I wanted for my "bangs". Took the rest of the ponytail and secured it with another rubber band into a messy bun. I then used my flat iron to curl up the bangs a bit, added a headband with a chiffon flower to hide the hair that I pulled down from the ponytail, and sprayed my bangs with some hairspray to hold in place.

Voila!

Fake bangs at their finest!

Now the big question ........ do I like them?

 I usually don't wear my hair up on a day-to-day basis, so I would love to see if I can rock bangs with my hair down. However, I am just not in love with this look on me. It was definitely fun to try out, especially without the pressure of commitment, but I will leave this look to the others that sport it so much better!  

 

Fall Shopping in July

I am always on the lookout for great deals ... Fall wardrobe shopping in the heat of summer may seem crazy to some, but I have been snagging some really great deals on my shoe collection.

 

6pm.com ... only $20.99!!

 

Overstock.com ... got these in black!

 

Zulily.com ... only $14.99!!

 

I am determined to not live in Uggs this season. They are super-comfy and keep my toes nice and warm, but wedges are going to look so cute with leggings and sweaters!!

 

Have you snagged any good buys for your fall closet yet?

 

Hope y'all are still enjoying the gorgeous summer sunshine!!



Ta Ta For Now ...

 

It's time. Time to re-focus. Time to re-energize. Time to de-clutter and organize priorities. Time to de-stress and take the pressure off.

While I am sad that I have had zero time to make dot...dot...dot... all that I want it to be, I am happy to be taking a break away for a bit. I am hoping to come back refreshed and excited; full of new ideas and inspiration.

Until then, you can find me on Facebook and Pinterest (links to the right). I am on Instagram (aprilbaker23), but haven't quite jumped on board fully. I plan on doing that soon.

And be sure to check out the fabulous blogs in my sidebar. I will always be checking in on them ... my daily dose of blog love!

 

I hope everyone has a great summer enjoying friends and family, vacations and weekends at home, warm sunshine, and happiness!!

 

See you in the Fall, peeps!